Upon hearing the first four songs of White Wizzard's new album Flying Tigers, I was prepared to give them a three star review, which really would've bummed me out. I like this band, and live they were excellent musicians and showmen. The songs that I listened to were fine, and good in their own right. But I have heard enough of this style from the first three Iron Maiden albums, Dio albums and White Wizzard's previous release, Over The Top, that I was disappointed by the lack of evolution by the band and bored by the style itself. The album then flung me a curve ball, one of many to come, that endeared me to this release. Night Train to Tokyo has a glammy, sunset strip sort of swing to it, with a pretty intoxicating melody. Night stalker sounds like vintage Maiden worship, like the combination of Aces High and Murders in the Rue Morgue. Then by far my favorite song on the album, Fall of Atlantis mixes middle eastern riffing, Halford vocals, prog-laiden heavy metal, with tremolo picking and double bass, giving the music the balls it needs! Blood on the Pyramids, finally switches the dynamics of how the band writes a song, and features intricate vocals, and some drum and guitar back and forth that really shakes up the stagnant nature of regurgitated NWOBHM, to create something original as well as vintage sounding. The rest of the album doesn't fail to surprise and dazzle, and most importantly rock. The band gets properly heavy, which leads to more interesting songs and develops that sense of evil, danger, and malice that the classic bands had but the Wizzard usually lacked. And the sense of experimentation leads them down a prog metal rabbit hole, where traditions are thrown away and heavy/brutal, riff/drum magic is allowed to blossom. There is enough new stuff here to satisfy me and now I'll be able to enjoy the more traditional tracks for what they are, instead of wishing what they could have been. Horns Up \nn/ and go see these guys live!